The Athletics claim a crucial series win against the Yankees

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 21: Oakland Athletics pitcher A.J. Puk (31) delivers against the New York Yankees during his debut in the eighth inning of a MLB game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

OAKLAND — A chorus of mockeries and jabs harmonized with the post-game victory music blaring in the A’s clubhouse. Oakland beat the Yankees, 6-4, to claim the series and their fifth win over their last six this home stand (against the Astros, too). But jokes must still fly.

“This guy throws a 99 mph slider and an 88 four-seam fastball,” one unidentified A’s player shouted. He was, of course, referring the inaccurate scoreboard readings on A.J. Puk’s first major league pitches.

Let the official record show: the highly-touted left-handed prospect’s fastball topped out at 99.5 mph, his slider clocked in at 89. But, given Puk’s reputation for high all-around velocity, it was worth clarifying, anyway.

“Yeah, no, that was a fastball,” Puk said of his high-90s hurls.

In all, he’d throw 11 pitches, 10 were fastballs and one a slider. And most of them didn’t seem to go where he’d intended. All dripping with debut adrenaline, Puk walked Mike Tauchman, the leadoff batter, on six pitches. He got ahead 0-2 on Cameron Maybin, and subsequently saved by Jurickson Profar’s catch off Maybin’s high fly that almost found grass. Then Mike Ford cracked a single 110 mph to put runners on the corners.

The crowd sure didn’t seem to mind the drama, those at the Coliseum all stood up from their seats knowing — no matter how this debut went — they were witnessing the first couple moments of their team’s future. A key cog to it, at least.

Granted, it wasn’t an ideal spot for Puk’s debut. Manager Bob Melvin joked that those perfect moments just don’t seem to exist, anyway.

The A’s were just two runs up on the Yankees in that eighth inning, but the pressure of the moment could never outweigh the anticipation building within Puk as he nearly waited through an entire second game for the bullpen phone to ring for him.

“My heart was racing and I was trying my best to calm it down,” Puk said. Sweaty palms dry up after that first outing, apparently. And with the go-ahead run at the plate and one out, it was time for a slower heartbeat with that similar speed.

Before yesterday, Liam Hendriks hadn’t seen the Yankees since he opened the AL Wild Card game in the Bronx. That October day, Aaron Judge took him deep for a two-run homer in the first inning, setting the tone for a quick and disappointing postseason adventure.

Relievers have to have a short memory, and maybe some jokes help, too.

“I assume they showed it (on television) while I was in the bullpen, so that’s fun,” Hendriks said. “But, it is what it is. I asked (Judge) earlier today, ‘Which one was hit harder, the one you hit off me or the one you hit off (Joakim) Soria yesterday?’ He played the modest card and said ‘Nah the wind was blowing out’ and I said ‘It doesn’t matter if the wind was blowing in that ball was gone, no matter where it is that ball is out of Yellowstone.’”

Hendriks’ short memory paid off. Wednesday he struck out DJ LeMahieu and Judge, both on his brand new slider, to clean up Puk’s mess.

He’d also mow through the middle of the Yankees order in the ninth — Gary Sanchez strikeout, Gio Urshela fly out, Didi Gregorius ground out — for yet another five-out save. Having off days Monday and Friday certainly allowed Hendriks more breathing room for this moment, but it adds another bullet point to his new role as A’s savior/closer.

“The acceleration from his role last year to this year has just been amazing,” Melvin said. “Usually you lean on a guy for an inning, he pitched an inning yesterday and an inning and two-thirds today, so that might’ve been his best outing of the year.”

Maybe this wasn’t about avenging an old, brutal loss, but forging ahead through a bright future; Wednesday, it was about keeping an excited young arm’s MLB ERA all goose eggs.

“Watching him out there, there’s something special warming up in the bullpen that’s for sure. There’s a little bit of extra sizzle on the ball,” Hendriks said. “Especially seeing the ball come in at a 99 mph slider and 88 mph fastball.”

None of the bullpen dramatics happen without some key home runs out of the A’s lineup. Marcus Semien hit his 22nd home run of the year off J.A. Happ. Stephen Piscotty hit one the other way, too.

But the most momentous swing came from Khris Davis. Fresh off a four-strikeout game on Tuesday, Davis worked his way into a full count before getting a fastball on the right half of the plate that he stroked the other way. It was vintage Davis, just for a moment.

“Right field, down the line like a left-handed hitter and several rows back,” Melvin said. “And he needed that, he’s been grinding hard.”

The home run gave the A’s a 2-1 lead, but also snapped Davis’ 0-for-17 skid. He’s been fighting through mechanical issues, Melvin said, and took some good swings Tuesday night that just got more futile as the night progressed. A bounce back in a key at bat was crucial.

“It’s weighing on him, it hurts. He wants to hit middle of the order and do what he normally does, but everyone goes through tough times,” Melvin said. “Glad he hit a home run today.”

With the win, the A’s move to 73-53 and remain in a tie for the second wild card spot with the Tampa Bay Rays, a half-game back of the Cleveland Indians for the first spot. They’ll go for the sweep Thursday night.